Going Back and Coming Forward
by VerelLupin
Summary: Wolverine has two missions, go back and stop Mystique from killing Trask and reunite her with Professor Xavier then come forward to a new future. Wolverine didn't expect it to be easy but Charles Xavier is different. Can he complete his missions and guide the Professor to the future that should be? Slightly AU, mentions of Wolverine/Rogue and Charles and Raven romantically.
1. Getting Mystique And Finding Raven

Funny enough this flashback scene was written months before Xmen future past was released...guess I always figured Erik would hurt her.

Anyway this follows most of the movie but is slightly AU since I have taken some liberties and added the deleted kitchen scene. The dialogue is word for word with bits of my own twisted ideas mixed together.

Enjoy...

* * *

**The Future – 2023**

"Wolverine."

"Yeah."

"I know that you and I haven't been on the best of terms, the best of anything really."

"Your point?"

"I need you to do something for me."

"No." Wolverine replied.

"It is to help Charles." Magneto said.

"Will Chuck like it?"

"No. In fact this cannot be told to him, under no circumstances can he know you are looking for her."

"Why would I look for her? I'm supposed to go find him."

"He loved her, I was fascinated, in lust with her. If you cannot convince Charles with what he's told you, you must find Mystique. You must convince her to go home."

"You sure about this?"

"The world will be lost either way, why not correct another wrong."

"I do this, you do something for me."

"Ask."

"You protect Rogue to the end."

"With my last breath."

"Can Mystique be trusted?"

"She's less innocent, less naive to be sure." He looked away and Wolverine could have sworn that Magneto actually looked ashamed. "My doing I'm afraid but at that time, she still loved him. I don't think she ever stopped."

"She poisoned him once, remember? I think she stopped."

"Love can so easily turn to hate. You know that better than most."

"Sure do."

"Raven will eventually become the woman you know as Mystique if she continues on this path. But if you can reunite her with Charles perhaps two more lives can be saved and I can right the wrong I did them."

"I'll try."

"I won't make it easy."

"I know but this time I don't got metal running through me so I can easily tell you to go fuck yourself."

"Logan? Are you ready?" Charles asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Wolverine answered the Professor.

"I hope you warned him about your younger self." Charles muttered quietly to Erik.

"I most certainly did, though really its the younger Charles, I should have warned him about."

"What about him...you?" Wolverine asked.

"He's stubborn and very much in denial...much like you were Logan. Safe trip."

"Here goes nothing."

**Charles Xavier's School For The Gifted – The Kitchen – 50 years in the past and two days after cornering Mystique at a local hospital and dragging her back to the mansion kicking and screaming.**

"So Erik was telling the truth. It's either me or Trask," Mystique replied looking at the three of them.

"If you kill Trask, they'll be ten more like him." Beast answered.

"Well then I'll kill them too and anyone who comes next."

"Let's just cut to the chase here. You wanna know how all this ends? Cause I've seen you in the future." Wolverine was not going to play this crap anymore. He had a job and he was gonna do it, he didn't care how innocent this girl looked.

"Yeah, what am I like?" she challenged.

"You're a cold murderess bitch."

"Hey," Beast protested weakly.

"Well don't hold back."

Wolverine leaned forward so that he was almost nose to nose with the current blond. He saw Xavier lean forward as if to defend her but Mystique glared at him and he sat back. "By the time they finish you. And they finish you. You've killed so much, you're knee deep in human and mutant blood. You don't even know who you are."

"Well maybe there wouldn't be as much mutant blood if we made our move now," she spat.

"These are Erik's words not yours."

"Are they? How would you know? You've never actually bothered to listen to me, how can you be so sure?" She asked.

Xavier ignored the questions and Wolverine didn't bother to mask his thoughts about it. **'Interesting relationship you two have.' **Xavier continued as if he hadn't read Wolverine's mind but the angry flush on the mind reader's face said otherwise. "And besides you'd be giving Trask exactly what he wants. A reason for humanity to...to...to fear us. To hate us."

At this point Wolverine decided to keep his mouth shut and just let them fight it out. Although to Wolverine's trained eye, the two arguing before him did not resemble family. If anything it was too much like him and Marie. Not lovers but not just friends either. Beast thought so too, clearly uncomfortable with the very personal nature of their argument but Wolverine didn't care, this affected all their futures, these two had to patch their differences, it was now or never.

"You think they need a reason?" She laughed, "do you honestly think they'll ever be able to see me like this and feel anything but fear?" Mystique didn't bother to get up as she dropped her familiar camouflage. Xavier averted his eyes instantly and Mystique seized on it. "You can't even look at me."

"That is not true." Xavier denied and though his face was no longer turned, his eyes were looking somewhere above her head.

And that was when Wolverine understood. He'd had his suspicions ever since he'd encountered the professor drugged and cussing at him that she wouldn't return, but that split second hungry look Xavier had thrown at her blue form clinched it.

The young professor wasn't ashamed of her skin, he liked it and definitely not in the family way he kept saying. He clearly wanted more from their relationship than he was willing to admit. He wondered if blondie knew, he'd bet Scott's motorcycle, she didn't.

Mystique changed back and Xavier once more gave her his full attention as she continued, "I can hide like you. But what about the ones who can't? I saw them in Vietnam. It's hard to hide your powers when you are being shot at. And the ones that couldn't hide became lab rats for Trask."

"I would never let that happen to you. I made you a promise a long time ago. That I would keep you safe."

**'Please, that clearly didn't work the first time.' **Wolverine thought loudly.

The professor didn't miss a beat, "that I would protect you. If I had done my job perhaps none of this would be happening to us." He reached across the table for her hand but she kept her arms crossed and away from him. "Perhaps you wouldn't have left home." **'You wouldn't have left me.'**

**'I didn't leave you.' **"I couldn't stay here forever, Charles."

**'And why not?' **

"That's why!" She slammed her palms on the table clearly angry.

"Raven, I'm sorry. I don't-" He began but clearly there was some old habits Chuck had never learned to stop and Mystique was gonna remind him of them.

"And its not me that you should be worrying about! Erik is gonna start that war whether you like it or not."

"Well how do you know?" Beast asked.

"He told me," she replied walking towards the front door.

**'Of course he did, Magneto always did like to annoy Xavier. That apparently hasn't changed.'**

But she didn't get more than a few steps before Xavier was once again stopping her. "Whoa, whoa, whoa."

"When was the last time you changed your bandage? On...on..your...leg?" Beast asked.

Wolverine had smelled the blood earlier but assumed that Beast had too and he hadn't seemed worried so he hadn't said anything. But now that he'd spotted the large dark stain on her pant leg, he kinda wished he had said something. Her limping was pretty bad and she was still very hurt and should not leave, though somehow he didn't think her staying would fix anything if Charles and her didn't mend their fences.

"Hank is going to see to your leg." Charles told her.

"I don't-" Beast interrupted.

"Yes you are." He told Beast."You need some rest, my girl." This he directed to Mystique.

"I'm not your girl."

Wolverine noted that it wasn't said with much conviction.

"You will find your room just as you left it. Hank get going."

"I don't-"

"You know you want to, go on."

Charles looked down at the table and Wolverine didn't need to see Xavier's face to know that the man was troubled by more than Mystique's injury. The way she'd said Magneto's name had bothered the telepath, a lot.

"I don't blame Erik for trying to kill me," she said quietly. "I would have done the same thing." Mystique looked at Xavier but he refused to meet her eyes.

"Alright." He said more to himself than her. Beast escorted her up the stairs and Xavier watched them until they were out of sight."She's home."

The stupidity of that statement made Wolverine shake his head and do what he'd swore he wouldn't. He was gonna have to talk to Xavier about his obvious feelings for Mystique. "What are you trying to do?"

"I'm trying to save her." Xavier said it as if it was obvious.

"Men who try to do that to women, in my experience, it doesn't end well."

**'Who did you try to save?' **He got a quick flash of white on brown and a face too young to carry the sadness in her eyes. "She seems like quite a girl."

"You're gonna drive her away." Wolverine snarled.

**'Is that what you did?'**

"Yeah."

"I've already driven her away. I just want her safe even if its just for the night." Xavier replied.

"Why don't you talk to her instead. Be honest, she's smart, she'll get it."

"Would you talk to her...to Marie, if you got the chance?"

"I will if you do." He glanced at the stairs. "You need help getting up there?"

"I'd hate to be a bother."

Wolverine lifted the Professor into his arms and followed the path of the previous two. "Magneto told me that you loved her before they me sent back. I didn't believe him."

"Erik rarely lies. It's not in his nature. He likes being right too much."

"Do you wanna knock or should I?" Wolverine asked as they stopped in front of what used to be Mystique's old room.

"It's probably better if I do."

**'The door is open, Charles.'**

**'I don't want to intrude.'**

**'Then don't.'**

**'Will you be here in the morning? Will you give me a chance to talk to you before you leave?' he asked.**

**'What for? I know what I have to do, can you say the same?'**

**'One chance, Raven. It's all I ask.'**

"See you in the morning, Charlie."

"See you in the morning, Raven."

"So where do I put you?" Wolverine asked.

"My study if you don't mind, I've got a mini fridge with cold beer."

"Lead the way, Chuck."

"You know this isn't the first time Erik's injured her or that I've come close to telling her the truth." Charles said as Wolverine lowered him to the sofa. He grabbed a beer, handed one to Xavier and sat down, this was going to be a long story.

_He brought her in leaning heavily on his shoulder. "He hurt you, Raven. You will not be seeing him again and that is final."_

_"No it's not final. It was an accident and you can't tell me what to do."_

_"While you're living under my roof, I can."_

_"It's my roof too, and you are not my father."_

_"I'm your bro-"_

_She let go of his shoulder and limped over to the sofa. "No, you're not Charles. No matter how badly you want to be. I wish you were, I really do then maybe I wouldn't feel so awkward about it. "_

_"Raven?"_

_"Let's not kid ourselves. If believing that works for you then I'm glad but it doesn't work for me, not any more," she mumbled._

_"What do you mean any more?" he asked approaching her cautiously._

_"God, do I have to spell it out for you. Are you really this dense?" she snarled the last bit._

_"Raven, please luv." He cupped her face with both hands forcing her to look into his baby blues, "I'm at a loss and I honestly have no idea what's upsetting you but I don't want you to see Erik again. I promise that I will do everything in my power to make you happy, if you do this for me."_

"_You can't keep that promise," she said unable to hold back a few tears._

_They slipped down her cheek and he caught them with a sweep of his thumbs, "talk to me."_

_He pressed his forehead to hers but she instantly moved away. "I can't. I already told you more than I should have. It doesn't matter anyway."_

"_Everything you say matters." _

_He hugged her and she sagged in his arms allowing herself to enjoy it just for a second. "You really don't know, do you? You really are too smart for your own sake, Charlie."_

_"Raven," he repeated but he could feel the moment being lost._

_She forced the lethargic warmth of his body away and tried to stand without his help. "I won't see him again, I promise. Please I'm just really tired now."_

_"Alright but we will have this conversation again."_

_She didn't reply and he didn't let her go, instead he wrapped one of her arms around his neck and swept her into his arms._

_"You don't have to carry me, I can walk." She said with a sad little smile._

_"I want to. Indulge your-" he stopped himself at her wounded look. "Indulge me, Rave."_

_She sighed and settled into his embrace without further argument._

_The mansion was quiet and the only sounds that permeated the night were his heavy footfalls and their steady breathing as he carried her up the stairs. _

_Her room was next to his, which was convenient because even though she wasn't heavy, he knew he would not have been able to go one step further. The idea of talking to his new friend about his oldest friend and the more than possible backlash of that future conversation had already exhausted him._

_He would have to talk to Erik as soon as possible, Charles knew he couldn't really dictate who she could go or couldn't go out with but he was worried that what Erik wanted and what Raven was expecting were on two completely different levels._

_Apparently their argument had tired her out as well. Her breathing now fanned across his neck in an even rhythm and her arms were resting gently against his chest instead of wrapped around his neck._

_He tilted her to one side and freed one hand long enough to open the door to her room but quickly adjusted her so he wouldn't drop her. He didn't bother to turn on the lights; Charles knew her room better than his, having spent many an insomniac night in it chit chatting with her._

_He laid her down gently and she rolled onto her side curling like a kitten. _

_He knew that they would have to talk in the morning and that she more than likely would shut him out but for now he would let her rest and figure out later how to keep that from happening. _

_Charles quietly went to the bathroom and pulled several bandages from the medicine cabinet, he knew sleep wouldn't come until he personally saw to it that her ankle was taken care of. He carefully pulled off her boots and sat down on the bed so that her foot rested in his lap. He felt for broken bones but was glad to find only mild bruising and possible signs of a sprain. He added some ointment to speed up her recovery then wrapped her ankle tightly. _

_She let out a slight sound of discomfort but otherwise remained asleep, satisfied with his quick fix, Charles got up and as she slept took the time to admire her. In her relaxed state he was able to fully appreciate the fine texture of her skin without her self-consciousness intruding._

_He took advantage of this rare moment to trace the blue of her face. As always it surprised him how soft she was and how delicate her features truly were when she wasn't hiding or mocking them._

_There had been few occasions for him to bestow any kind of physical affection on her and when he did it was colored by his chaste upbringing and therefore seemed cold. He regretted that now, he regretted it greatly, maybe they wouldn't be in this mess with Erik if he had._

_He was unhappy about their current circumstances and though he was glad to have a reason to hold her in his arms, Charles only wished it would convince her that he cared about her in more than a familial aspect. He knew that her reasons for believing that were his fault and his alone._

_He had never really tried to explain why his touches were few and far between. Not that it mattered since Raven seemed to want something that he wasn't sure he knew how to give. The real problem was of course that she had lashed out by attaching herself to Erik and then put him in the difficult situation of stopping it because he certainly couldn't approve of it._

_He so desperately wanted to show her that it was a distraction they didn't need now. Especially not now when the CIA was leery of them as it was, not when convincing them that they were mutants who had no quarrel with the rest of humanity was their top priority._

_In reality if Erik was her choice, it pained him to think that was the case, he wanted her to really think about it before she committed herself to the man. _

_He gently tugged the blanket up to her waist, dropped a kiss on her head and would have walked out of her room had her voice not stopped him, "stay." _

"_I thought you were asleep."_

"_You make too much noise." She mumbled._

"_I see. In that case I apologize for waking you."_

"_It's ok," she said and scooted over so that he could easily slide in beside her. "Come on, I don't bite."_

"_So you say but I have no way of knowing." He smiled and popped off his shoes and lay on top of the covers. "You know my rule, I'm here, now got to sleep."_

"_Fine." She huffed and turned her back on him._

"_Raven?"_

"_I said fine, what more do you want?" _

"_Are you angry because I won't join you under the covers? Raven. I'm talking to you." She gave no response. "Are you actually giving me the silent treatment?" he said laughing. "That's a bit childish don't you think?" _

_Without warning she sat up and pushed him off the bed. Charles landed with a thump but made no move to get up as she hissed. "Get out." _

"_Rave."_

"_Out," she shouted pointing to her door._

"_No." he said and crossed his arms over his chest. _

"_Get out." She repeated._

"_Make me!" he snapped._

"_Oh, now who's being childish?" She said but didn't budge._

"_There's no need to act like this. I didn't mean anything by it. I was joking. If you want me under the covers so badly I'll get in." he said getting up and dusting himself off._

"_No, I don't want you here and I'm not joking." _

"_Enough. You know my rule. It's inappropriate and yet I'm willing to be here even though I have an exam first thing in the morning and I should be studying instead of babysitting you."_

"_Babysitting?" she said looking more hurt than he thought possible. _

"_I didn't…"_

"_I'm tired, my ankle hurts and I think you've done more than enough for me tonight." _

_He sat on the edge of the bed but she stubbornly turned her back to him, "I didn't mean that but sometimes you do act like a child and forget that there are other things going on in our world beyond us. The world is getting more dangerous for our kind. I'm trying to prepare you for it before you get hurt. I would do anything to insure your well being, my haste makes me mean and I'm sorry for that but I will not apologize for watching over you even when you don't want me to."_

"_I know." _

"_I can stay for a while if you want." Raven lifted the blanket and he lay beside her. "I am sorry. I don't always think of how my words sound. You are not a baby nor is caring for you a chore." He said by way of explaining his actions. Raven moved closer so that her head rested on his chest and his arm encircled her. "But this is inappropriate, Raven. You are a young lady now, its unwise for me to climb into bed with you."_

"_You act like my brother anyway, what harm could it do?"_

"_I act it but like you said earlier, I am not your brother. I am your friend and you are my friend but we are also a healthy man and woman and this could be seen in the wrong light."_

"_By who?"_

"_Erik, the others. People."_

"_What if I don't care?"_

"_You should sweetheart. I don't ever want anybody to think they can take advantage of you, not even me. I love you Raven maybe not as I should but I do."_

"_I know Charlie. I've always known you're the only one I can trust," she said touching her palm to his steady heartbeat. "Is this is okay?"_

"_This is fine." He replied and kissed the top of her red hair. "Sleep, you need to rest."_

"_Promise you won't leave until I fall asleep."_

"_I promise," he said and she snuggled into his side. _

_It wasn't long until she dozed off and yet Charles found himself unable to leave. He wanted to blame it on wanting to protect her and not the coziness of their positions or the way she clutched his shirt in her sleep._

_He wanted to say that he felt it was his duty to make sure she was fine. But a darker side of him told him that it had more to do with how perfectly suited her curves were to his frame. How nice it felt to have one of her long slim legs slip between his. How he'd practically already confessed even though she hadn't picked up on it._

_Eventually his mind chose to give him a respite from his mixed up feelings and he too grew drowsy and eventually slept and dreamed of soft sweet kisses that were anything but sisterly._

_When he woke he tried to pull away from her arms and his disturbing dreams but one glance at her perfect blue skin and bright red hair spread across his shirt kept him in place. _

_Charles Xavier wondered how he'd managed to pretend that there was nothing but sibling love between them for so long. After this whole business with Shaw was finished, Charles would finally tell the truth about how he felt about her and let her decide if she wanted a different relationship from the one they currently had. _

_If not he'd respect that as well and distance himself accordingly. It would be her choice to make because Charles was irrevocably and unmistakably in love with Raven and would sacrifice anything for her happiness even himself._

"Things never seem to work out where we are concerned."

"Seems to me you knew exactly how you felt about it then." Wolverine said taking a healthy gulp of cold imported beer.

"After Shaw and my accident. I buried it. I already worried that her feelings had to do with me saving her as a child. Love born out of gratitude was hard enough to stomach, love out of pity, I couldn't endure. So I told myself that it was a passing fancy and told her to go."

"You didn't think she'd actually leave." It was a statement not a question.

"No, I expected her to stay. I was obviously wrong about the depth of her feelings and Erik was more than happy to remind me when I finally did contact him."

Wolverine took the last swig of his beer and opened a new one, "you need another?"

Charles shook his head. "I'm sorry. You probably didn't want to hear all this melodrama."

Wolverine shrugged, "I work in a school, melodrama I know. Real feelings not at all. What happens when you tell her truth and she rejects you? You go back to how I found you?"

"I have very little serum left and I made Hank promise not to make more."

"That doesn't answer any of my questions." Wolverine took Charles' warm beer and replaced it with a cold one.

"No it did not. I accept it and help her in any way I can. I owe her that. Don't worry Wolverine, I will do everything in my power to keep your future from happening, even if it means working with Erik and walking away from Raven."

"I know you will. I just hope its enough for all our sakes."

"Here's to the future." Charles clicked his beer to Wolverine's.

"I'm gonna be really confused when I get back."

"Indeed Logan."


	2. Losing And Getting Professor Charles X

**So this was going to be a one shot but all the lovely reviews and the movie marathon of Xmen movies including the Rogue Cut of DOFP gave me ideas.  
**

**It will be either one or two more chapters. I'm toying with the idea of a future scene with Rogue and Wolverine before he gets sent back. Some scenes are out of order and are that way for better flow of what I'm writing. So I have no idea how long Charles' serum lasts so I totally winged it. Sorry its hack science. ;)  
**

**There is a lemon, I'm not that good at them so it should be okay but I'm upping the rating anyway.**

**Enjoy...**

* * *

He'd assumed that she would attempt to sneak out as soon as they all went to bed. She'd reminded him so forcibly of Rogue that he'd been unable to sleep.

Not that he'd gotten much sleep once he'd felt the shift in who was holding him, he almost laughed at himself, 50 years in the past and he was still attuned to her touch.

Rogue's presence meant that Magneto had kept his word and now he had to keep his. And if he did, he just might get to see her once more. With that in mind, he pushed his dislike for the girl in the next room deep down and dragged his heavy bones out of the bed to play guard dog.

He'd pulled up a chair just outside the circle of light the hallway provided and waited. Less than ten minutes later he heard Mystique moving about. She was fairly quiet but then she'd always been pretty stealthy just not enough for his enhanced hearing.

He'd watched in amusement as she cautiously peered up the stairs but not down and limped right to where he lay in wait. "Leaving without saying goodbye?"

"Didn't think you cared." Raven replied, apparently she'd expected someone.

"Don't. Thought you were gonna hear Chuck out?"

"I decided not to."

Her nonchalant response irritated him, "I don't know what he sees in you."

"I don't care what you think." She retorted.

"He's trying to help you."

"He's trying to control me."

He took a deep puff of his cigar, "you think so?"

She limped closer to the door and his chair, daring him to get up and stop her. "He's been doing it since we were children. Believe me I know him better than you do."

"Probably but if he does, it's because it's the only way he knows -"

"Well his way sucks."

"Teach him a different one." He said with a shrug.

"Why should I?"

"Don't you get tired of running?" he asked.

"I'm not running. I'm fighting. Not all of us have mansions to hide in."

"Those are Magneto's words."

"You don't know me." Raven argued.

"I know him and he says that kind of crap all the time."

"It's because he's right!"

"It's because he thinks he's right." Wolverine clarified.

"You want everybody to hold hands and sing Kumbaya?"

"Nope. I'm the fight first and ask questions later."

"What's your problem with Magneto then?"

"He's the use you until he can't."

"He wouldn't..."

"Wouldn't he? How you'd get shot? Security get lucky or was that bullet magically sent into your leg?"

She shifted her weight, hiding the bloodstained pant leg. "What's your point?"

"This fighting only lasts as long as it suits his purpose. It's not about mutants or humans, it's about Magneto getting revenge."

"For all of us."

"For him. In the future, they try to make a cure. You get it."

"I wouldn't."

"It wasn't voluntary. They shot at Magneto and you got in the way. You took it for him and he left you the moment your powers did. He left you and we took you in."

"I'm sure Charles was more than happy to welcome a normal me."

"Charles was dead. Killed by Magneto's manipulation of another powerful mutant, someone who was struggling like you were. She was dangerous too, Charles was trying to help her and Magneto took advantage of the situation. It got her killed."

"I don't believe you," she recoiled.

"Don't but you know first hand how quickly he abandons his allies."

"Erik was probably doing what he thought-"

"Was best? You seeing a pattern honey."

"I'm not your honey. I'm not Charles' girl and I'm not Erik's mission," she said through gritted teeth.

"Then what are you?" he asked.

"I'm a mutant tying to help other mutants."

"Yeah you are helping...helping us get killed faster." Wolverine got up. "You don't have to be any of those things if you don't want to be. But the man up there," he pointed to the second floor, "he does help. If you want to do that then you'll hear him out, you run now, you'll always be running."

"Why do you care what happens to me?"

"I don't but he does. He helped me and I would like to repay the favor."

**'Raven?' **

She turned but his voice was just in her head. "I hate when you do that."

"What?" Wolverine asked.

"Not you," she snapped.

**'You're leaving aren't you?'**

"You're the one in my head, you tell me."

**'I'm not reading your mind, Logan projects very loudly as do you when you're angry, you have that in common. And I wasn't actually sleeping.'**

"You can't make me stay."

**'I wasn't trying to, I just wanted...' he sighed.**

"What did you want? Huh Charles? What did you think you could say that would change anything?"

**'I took the last of my serum. A few hours from now, I'll be back to my old self.'**

"So even if I run, you'll just use Cerebro and find me, is that it?"

**'I don't want to but...'**

Wolverine watched the emotions play out on the mutant's face and shook his head at her stubbornness to see what was at stake. The men in the future were wrong; she'd been alone for too long, she wasn't willing to listen to anybody. They were fighting a losing battle.

"How long before your powers are gone again?"

That surprised him. **'Was Charles actually getting through to her?'**

**'Not sure."**

"We talk then I'm gone."

**'Alright.'**

"Where are you going?" Raven asked Wolverine as he got his jacket and took the keys from an ashtray in the hallway.

"Getting some beer."

**'Logan, there's plenty of beer in the kitchen.'**

**'I know, wake up Beast and tell him to meet me in the hall.'**

**'Why in God's earth would I-'**

**'Trust me Chuck, you're gonna want some privacy.'**

**'Alright.'**

Raven looked curiously at Wolverine and he motioned to the stairs. "Weren't you going up?"

"What did you tell Charles?"

"Nothing."

"Liar, I know what a mental conversation with him looks like."

"Don't you want to leave?"

"Thank you for reminding me." She glared at him one last time and made her way up the stairs.

"Watch the leg!" he shouted and she flipped him off just as Beast was coming down.

"What are you doing up? Couldn't sleep?"

"Yeah something like that," she said.

"I have something for the pain if that's keeping you up."

"I'm good thank you."

"Hey kid, let's go!" Wolverine shouted.

"I got to go."

Raven waved him on, continued up the stairs and disappeared from their sight.

"What's going on? What are we doing? Why are we leaving the mansion?"

**'Good luck, Professor.'**

"Logan?"

"Helping Charles. Gotta get some stuff out of the way."

"Oh okay, I was a little worried after what happened earlier. What stuff?" Beast asked pocketing house keys.

"You and me." Wolverine said dragging the protesting Beast out of the house and slamming the door.

**'Thank you, Logan.'**

"You still taking to him?" Raven said from his doorway.

"I was." He put down the book he'd been reading and got up slowly. He was already able to stand and the familiar buzzing of thousands of voices was fading. He had taken the serum so he could talk to her anywhere but in his room.

After their fight in the kitchen, he'd hoped that a good night's rest would provide a little calm but since she was determined to leave, he had to rush his plans and deal with this tonight. It wasn't ideal but what choice was she giving him.

"Why'd he take Hank?" She asked looking around the room.

He had assumed he'd never see her again and now that she was here, the full effect of what had happened to his life was not what he wanted her to be focused on. "Logan thought it best our conversation be as private as possible."

"Logan thought, must be novel for him." Raven muttered.

Charles smirked; he'd missed her biting humor. "He's not what he seems."

"You think that of everybody. You used to always look for the good."

"Used to?" he asked failing to distract her from the discarded needles and empty vials of serum in plain view on a nearby table. He glanced around; even if he'd been able to read her mind, it wouldn't have been necessary to see what she thought. It was plainly written on her face, he must seem so pathetic compared to Erik.

She picked one up, "why'd you close the school?"

He slowly moved towards her, took the glass vial from her and dropped it in the trash. "The war took most of my students and teachers. And I wasn't in the right frame of mind to get more."

"We all lost things. We didn't fall apart like this."

He threw the rest in the bin and nodded. "I know. Some of us are stronger than others."

"Why is Hank the only one here? Why did it take a complete stranger to make you go looking for us?"

"Hank refused to leave. Logan said you were in trouble and I needed Erik to help keep you safe."

"I can take care of myself."

"Yes, I've seen that."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Raven, I don't want to argue with you."

"Then what do you want?"

"To keep my promise."

She scoffed. "It's a little late, that ship has sailed."

"Has it? Then why did you come home?" he asked moving closer.

"I realized I had nowhere else to go."

"You don't know where Trask is, that's why you are here. Were you hoping I'd help you find him?"

She shook her head. "I'll find him eventually. This war will happen."

"Are you going to make sure of that? Erik would be so proud of you."

"So finally the truth comes out. You're still jealous of Erik; you're still trying to play catch up. The game is over, Charles. You lost. We all did."

"I don't believe that."

"Yeah, then why couldn't you use your powers in Paris? I'll tell you why, because you gave up being one of us."

"I didn't give up anything! You and Erik abandoned me, what hope could I have? I lost my students, I lost my legs and I lost you!"

"You never had me, you never wanted me. You wanted someone to cater to you, someone to pump up your ego. You didn't care what I needed or wanted. Erik did. I left because you would have suffocated me. I would have never fulfilled my potential."

"Potential? Is that what Erik told you?"

"This is not about him. This is about you and your limitations on me!" She yelled pushing him.

"Raven," he grabbed her hands like he'd wanted to in the kitchen and for some reason she let him. "I have never doubted that you could do anything if you put your mind to it. But this anger and thirst for revenge is not you. The girl I grew up with wasn't capable of killing. She was good, fair, full of compassion."

She pulled out of his grip and stepped out of his reach, he was unraveling her. It was working; the truth might just save them. "I have compassion. Just not for Trask. He's murdered too many of us."

"This is not the answer. I was wrong to shelter you."

"Then why did you?"

"Because I'm selfish. I wanted you safe for my own sanity. I know that you talked to Hank when you first arrived. It took you both an astonishingly long amount of time to come get me. He must have told you what has been going on since Cuba. Do you understand what happened after you left?"

"You-"

"I fell apart, completely and utterly. I closed the school because I couldn't teach, I couldn't function without you, and the war was just a handy excuse. I drugged myself into oblivion because I couldn't search for others and not look for you. I couldn't keep my powers, I would have reached out to you and I was terrified you would reject me and I would force you to come home."

"You wouldn't have. If you had only-"

"Can you say that with absolute certainty?" She looked away. "I wouldn't have blamed you because I would have been a burden to you. So I made the voices disappear and consoled myself with the use of my legs so I wouldn't be tempted to tie you to me."

"But why is this is coming out now?"

"Because this is not just about protecting you anymore. It's about understanding that you have other options, we have other options and you don't have to do this alone. I didn't want you to leave without knowing that you mean a great deal to me. You've always been special and I needed to say it before we did something we would both regret."

"I know what I've always meant to you Charles."

"That was then and this is now." He stopped and looked at her.

"What's changed?"

"A great many things. I need a drink." He left the room and went into his study.

"Pour me one," she said following him.

He turned and handed her a barely filled glass but didn't say anything when she took the one he poured himself and drank it instead. He refilled hers then his and took a healthy swig. "If I had asked you to stay, what would have been your reason for doing so?"

"To care for you." She answered taking a drink.

"I suppose that gives me the answer."

"To what?"

"Erik was right..." he didn't look at her as he poured himself another. **'Of course it had been a schoolgirl crush. Hadn't Erik told me so, hadn't he taunted me with it.' **_'We were...you got into her head...that's not my power...you should have fought harder...she had to grow up.'_

"Charles!"

He snapped out of his thoughts and set down the now empty glass, he had not even realized he'd drained it. "I'm sorry Raven, I forgot myself. This was a mistake."

"You always do this, you make all these cryptic comments, apologies and questions that make no sense. This is why I stayed away. I don't want to have to try to figure out what you won't say. I don't need you to try to keep any more promises. I don't need..."

**'Me, it was always the other way around wasn't it? I'm the one lost without you. I was so blind.' **

It was a goodbye to the home he'd had with her and that he'd been too scared to admit he wanted still. She'd never felt as he had and it was good to know, at least he'd not made a complete fool of himself. It should have made him feel relieved that they could move on but it didn't, because Charles had always been insecure about the reason for her feelings. His upbringing had left him with a doubt that he could be loved for him. It was why he hid behind his big words and ideas.

"I won't keep you any longer."

Being sure that she would have stayed out of gratitude should have made it so much easier to let her go but all it did was confirm what he'd always suspected, he was meant to be alone.

"You're just going to let me walk out of here. You won't get in my head."

"You're not going to let me in and I'm barely holding on. " He touched his forehead, "I'm tired Raven. I'm not strong enough yet."

"And when you are?"

"It's what fate dealt us isn't it?"

"Even if staying was an option, I couldn't stay hidden away here while others are slaughtered and Trask remains out there doing it. I have to stop him. Help me stop him."

"I would but not the way you want."

"It's not about what I want! It's what needs to be done."

"Then we are at a standstill." He would have left her in the study to think about what he'd said and gone to his room to pull his chair closer. The effects of the serum would last only a few more hours if he were lucky. Charles didn't want to risk having to stumble his way back to his room on wobbly legs but Raven blocked the way and he was forced to sit on the couch while he massaged his legs.

"Why is it so hard for you to trust me?" she asked sitting beside him.

He'd known full well that she wasn't going to leave it at that. Raven was going to fight him tooth and nail and ultimately he would be forced to stop her. He just didn't think she'd corner him in his own home, their home. **'Maybe there was still a chance to save us.'** He certainly hoped Wolverine was wrong about her future, he couldn't imagine the cold woman he talked about.

"I do trust you. I just can't let go of what I used to be to you."

"You really can't read my mind?"

"No. I can't."

"Good," she replied and replaced his hands, experimentally trailing a hand along his legs sending tingling sensations that had nothing to do with the effects of the serum. "You'll lose these tomorrow won't you?"

He drew in as shuddering breath and she grew bolder in her explorations. "Yes. I have to."

"But you have them now."

"What are we doing?" he asked.

"Taking a moment," she replied and let her hands ghost over his thighs, he tensed and she massaged them with the heel of her palms.

"This isn't right, this is not what…" he closed his eyes for a second, taking in the surreal experience of being here with her now. He'd suppressed this particular dream for so long that he almost asked her to pinch him to prove that it was real but the sudden weight of her on his lap convinced him.

"You said yourself that we are different. That was then and this is now," her lips so close that he could almost taste the pink shade on them.

"This wasn't what I-" but he wasn't able to finish because his mind went black the moment her mouth touched his.

"I want this, just for tonight. We can go back tomorrow. We can pretend it didn't happen. Tell me you don't want me and I'll get up right now." Her words seem to cascade over him, washing away all the reasons this could ruin their relationship. Charles knew that they were nowhere near this level yet and his hesitation must have shown as Raven got up.

He gripped her hand and gently brought her back to his lap, he couldn't do this to her again. He couldn't allow her to think he was indifferent to her. "I can't lie to you anymore."

Suddenly she looked like the old Raven, all big eyes and vulnerable, "show me?"

"It would be my absolute privilege."

He kissed her deeply and felt her long soft hair brush his hand as she swayed closer. He was so engrossed in the little sounds he was pulling from her that he didn't realize she'd changed back into her true form until she'd paused his hands on her hips and felt the ridges and bumps of her skin.

"Wait, I'm-" she panicked and tried to shift back.

"Blue and you're stunning. You always were." He was ready to resume nipping at her neck just beneath her very sensitive earlobe but she leaned out his grasp, he was forced to stop and cup her face. "This was never the problem. You just thought it was."

"Why couldn't you look at me?" she asked and dragged one of his hands and held it captive to her chest as if testing whether he really found her attractive. Charles smothered several choice curse words especially when he felt her nipples hardened beneath his fingers. He breathed deeply and fought for a coherent thought. "Charlie?" she asked knowingly.

"Give me a second." She grinned and added his other hand so both were on her while she waited for an answer. "I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable and being like this around the mansion would have been a little difficult for me to ignore day in and day out. You are not a piece of meat to be ogled." He groaned audibly as she added a roll of her hips to the movement of his hands, "and I would have very much ogled you."

"I wouldn't have minded." She did a little shimmy and felt the hard length of him.

"Yes, well it would have been wrong."

"I always wanted wrong with you, Charlie," she stopped wiggling and did a more conscious grind and roll that soon had her panting along with him.

"That sounds marvelous but you are really going to have to take it easy on me. It's been a while, love."

"It's been a while for me too," she said in a breathy sort of moan and she let go of his hands so her own could rove under his shirt before gripping the edge of it and pulling it over his head. "I use to imagine this," she admitted sending his blood roaring right out of his head.

"Please, Raven." He whispered and she mercifully fell silent. Well not totally silent. Not with his long tapered fingers gliding over her dusky skin. Not when he tasted the rough scales on her shoulders, ran his hands down to the silky ones on her back and pulled her hard against him.

"Charles, I don't want to do this here," she said slowing down their movements.

"Ok." he sounded breathless and she smiled as she stood and he led her to his room. She hesitated at the doorway and he turned, concern in his eyes, "we don't have to do this. I am more than happy just to hold you all night if that's all you want."

She shook her head and flipped the light switch. It plunged the room into darkness leaving only his table lamp, which barely illuminated the photograph sitting beside it, as the only light in the room. She picked it up and traced the smiling blond face peering back at her. "How long?"

"I don't know," he said honestly. "It seems like forever."

She held out her hand and led him to the bed, where they laid down in silence. "Having you here is already more than I could have dreamed. You don't have to do anything."

"I know that," she said and climbed right back onto him. "I want to," she said and threw her arms around his neck, rolled onto her back and dragged him onto her. "You're too slow," she growled and pushed off his pajama pants and wrapped her long lean legs around him.

"And you my dear girl, have always been too impatient," he uncrossed her ankles from behind him, pushed her back against the mattress and kissed his way down her body. "I've imagined a few things myself that I'd like to try."

"Charlie," she wailed, dug her hands into his hair and pulled at the brown shag as his hands trailed over her ribcage, her belly, over slender hips and legs that parted for his shameless grin and into the deepest part of her.

"I want you to feel everything Raven, you deserve to be loved." She'd tried to shift into her usual blond and pale skin when she felt his breath on her and he paused. "You can change if it would make you more comfortable."

"You're fine with me like this?"

He grinned and lowered his head between her blue thighs. "Yeah I am," his muffled voice replied.

"Then I'm fine," she panted and ceased trying to change. It wasn't long before her legs began to tense and squeeze around him and she moaned quietly into his pillow.

"There's nobody in the house, love." He said dragging his beard back up her abdomen, over her breasts and up to her jaw line, marking her for everyone to see. It was very alpha male of him and no doubt she'd yell at him in the morning if it indeed marked her but he couldn't pass up the opportunity. Something about tasting her most intimate part and her letting him made him react like a typical man. "You can shout if you want, I have no problem with you screaming my name."

"Stop messing around and maybe I will, Charles Xavier," she kissed him hard tasting herself on his tongue, making her hot and ready for him. "Please."

"Yes, ma'am." He gave her a wide grin and Raven actually laughed. "It's nice to hear that sound again."

"It's been a long time since I had a reason to," she confessed and once more wrapped her legs around him. "You always could make me laugh."

"I'm sorry I also made you cry," he said softly and she gasped as he pushed into her. She gripped his shoulders and he felt her nails dig into his back. "It should have always been laughter."

"Shush," she said and he drew back out and she brought him back into her over and over. Blue and white moving together in harmony until both could barely breathe each other's name. "Tears sometimes help too."

"I love you," he grunted burying his face against her neck, trying to keep their momentum going but getting more ragged and frantic, desperate to reach the end together.

"I know," she replied and lifted her hips to deepen his strokes and pull him over the edge with her, which she did with a burst of his name from her lips that made him gasp out hers as well.

"I didn't say it because of what we were doing," he said still atop of her but resting his weight on his arms so that he wouldn't have to separate from her, he wasn't quite ready to stop touching her. It was still too miraculous and he was worried he'd wake and find it was not more than a wonderful dream.

"I know," she said shifting into the blond he was so used to seeing but that suddenly looked guarded.

They disentangled from each other and she rose to get up but he tugged her back. "I'm making a mess of it again, aren't I?"

"A little," Raven muttered and rested her head on his chest.

"Raven? You know that I love you. I love you so much that it nearly destroyed me. I lost hope."

"That's a lot to put on one person," she said sitting back up.

"I know, I shouldn't have done it but I don't regret it."

"Why?"

He lifted a strand of her hair and kissed the end of it. "Because when I hit bottom, there was only one way to go and now here we are. We are being given another chance to start over; do you know how rare a gift that is? How lucky we are?"

"Is it luck? What if it's another chance to screw up?" She sounded like it couldn't be so simple.

"I don't believe that, I refuse to," he said.

"You haven't changed," she said and lay down beside him. "Its comforting."

"We can make it through this."

"I hope so."

"I know we can," he said yawning.

"Tired you out?" she asked yawning too.

"I could ask you the same question."

She pulled him in for one more kiss then got comfortable. She turned on her side and he turned off the lamp. "Goodnight, love."

"Goodnight."

A few hours later, Raven carefully tugged herself away from Charles. Sometime during the night he'd rolled onto his back, removing his arm off her waist and allowing her to get out of the bed without disturbing him.

It had hurt to pull away from him and she toyed with the idea of curling back into his arms and sleeping the night away. Then she remembered all those faces in Trask's files and she'd been unable to stay cocooned in his reassurances that they could fix it without killing the man.

She changed and walked over to his side of the bed, talking one last glimpse of the man that held both halves of her. His face looked younger, relaxed and she was grateful that at least she'd granted him some measure of peace from whatever stress he'd been carrying.

It wasn't much since once he found her missing all the stress would return but for now it was all she could do and still live with herself.

She ran a gentle hand through his hair, bent and kissed his forehead. She picked up her photo and turned it face down. "I can't be your Raven right now. Until Trask is dead, nothing can change and once he is dead I won't be the girl you want. We just aren't meant to be."

She left and changed into him in the elevator. She limped down the corridor and stood waiting for the door to recognize her. Nothing happened and she realized that Charles would not be standing and painfully got to her knees.

It scanned her and let her in to the inner sanctum of Cerebro. It felt odd to be in here without Charles and she dropped the disguise quickly and picked up the helmet.

She didn't want to do this but what choice did she really have? Charles was a pacifist and a dreamer and she was a realist, his dream of humans co-existing with mutants would never happen; those beliefs had already cost him his mobility.

She would not allow it to cost him his life, she could never bear a world without him in it, and if his anger at her betrayal was the price she had to pay, then so be it.

She kissed the helmet, knowing it would be the last time she'd ever be this close to him again and let the tears fall, "I'm sorry Charles." Then with all her strength, Mystique slammed the helmet against the control panel, it shattered and she walked away.

It was bright daylight when Charles woke up. He stretched and turned to greet Raven but all he encountered was an empty space that had been cold for some time. He could hear faint sounds and realized that it was voices just outside his room.

He concentrated on what was being said and felt dread settle in his stomach.

"She's gone, Logan."

"We better wake up Charles."

**'No need.' **

Hank and Logan knocked on the door and Charles bade them enter.

"Raven left."

"He knows," Logan muttered to Hank.

"Do you need help?" Hank asked cautiously sensing Charles' darkening mood.

"I can manage, thank you. Could I please have some privacy?"

"Are you sure?"

"Trust me, kid. He's sure. We'll be downstairs." Logan said and closed the door.

"It's not good to leave him like that." Wolverine ignored him, "did you hear me?"

"Yeah."

"Well?"

"It is right now."

"No, its not."

"What do you think went on last night when you and I weren't here?"

Beast looked at him in shock and for a second Wolverine saw blue cross the boy's features. "But he loves her like a sister."

Wolverine actually felt sorry for the poor bastard. "No he doesn't. He never has. He convinced himself he did for a long time. That stopped last night."

Beast looked at Wolverine and the blue in his face became more pronounced as more of the beast came out. "This is all your fault!" he roared lunging at Wolverine. "What did you say to him?"

Wolverine shoved back the other man hard against the wall and pushed one bone claw tip to his cheek. "I'm gonna say this only once. You and her never happen and if you care at all about either of them you will keep this crap to yourself."

Beast growled but slowly morphed back to his calmer self. "I'm sorry. I just."

"It sucks, sorry but we have to find and stop her."

Beast adjusted his glasses and straightened his clothes. "We better get Charles to Cerebro then."

Wolverine offered to get Charles while Beast got his chair. Beast thanked him, he knew it was a peace offering for earlier and it would give him time to cool down before he saw Charles again.

"You ready?" Wolverine asked entering the room.

"I am but where's Hank?"

"I'll take you down, he needs a little alone time." Wolverine explained.

"He knows about Raven and I. I shouldn't have let it happen. They had something I believe."

"It was never gonna happen, Chuck. I can tell you that for sure."

"It doesn't make it any less painful, Logan, to watch the woman you love be in love with someone else. It's terribly lonely but I don't have to tell you that do I?"

"No, you don't."

They arrived at the foot of the stairs where Beast and Charles' chair waited. "Hank, thank you."

Beast nodded and Wolverine placed the professor in his chair, Wolverine couldn't help but notice the angry looks Beast kept throwing Charles as they made their way underground. He sighed, this was turning into a huge mess and he was really beginning to believe he was literally the last person who should have been sent.

They arrived at the doors to Cerebro and it scanned Xavier. The doors parted and what greeted them was pure chaos. Charles didn't even bother to go in, he just looked at the broken pieces of what used to be Cerebro scattered all over the floor, his eyes showing an emptiness that Wolverine had never ever seen before in the Professor, past or future.

"We can't track her now. Why would she do this?" Beast asked.

"She's cut her ties." Charles said and turned away from the destruction, anger coming off him in waves.

"Why?"

Wolverine ignored Beast and asked Charles. "Where is she?"

Charles touched his temple. "She's in an airport, boarding a plane. She could be going anywhere. She's still looking for Trask and making sure we can't follow."

"Can you talk to her?" Beast asked.

**'Raven, stop. Stop running.'**

**'Charles? Where are you?' her voice sounded worried.**

**'Back at the house, where you should be. I need you to come home.'**

**'Last night was a fantasy. This is real life. I know what I need to do.'**

**'You're not a killer. I know you better than most.' **

**'One night and you're an expert?'**

**'I've known you longer than anybody and it wasn't just any night and you know it.'**

**'You can't talk me out of it. Trask-'**

"Shut her down, get in her head." Wolverine said.

"I'm not strong enough yet." It wasn't technically a lie but he wanted her to see him, the man she claimed to love instead of the powerful telepath. He wanted to reach without manipulating her mind. He projected himself right in front of her, startling her enough to make her stop and let him have one last chance to appeal to her, to the woman he loved and not the angry woman she'd become.

**'I know what Trask has done but killing him will not bring them back. It will set you on a path from which there is no return. And endless cycle of killing. Us and them until there's nothing left. But we can stop it right now, you and I. Please love, you just have to come home.'**

**'I have to? Why because I slept with you? Because I let you touch me? You're not the first and you won't be last.' **

**'I don't want to lose you.'**

**'That's not your choice. You haven't changed at all Charles. Like I said I know exactly what I have to do.'**

**'You do? Then, wherever you go, I will find you. And, Raven, if you make me, I will stop you.'**

**'Good luck, Charles.'**

"I couldn't do it," he said cradling his aching head in his hands.

Wolverine patted him on the back, "get some rest, Charles. We'll track her and find out exactly where she's going."

"Hey, I saw in the news last night, there's going to be an announcement in Washington this afternoon about a new protocol for mutants, I recorded it." Beast said leaving Wolverine and Charles behind.

"You okay?" he asked once Beast was out of sight.

"What do you think?"

"Look it's none of my business…"

"You're right Logan, for the first time since this whole thing started I agree with you. My relationship with Raven was nobody's business. I made a mistake in listening to you. She is lost to me now more than she ever was and even more determined to be on this reckless path. I actually fooled myself into believing that I could change her. She was right…I'll never change."

"This wasn't-"

"Supposed to happen, is that what you were going to say? Let me ask you something in the future you are from, has she ever stayed with me? Or is she always out of my reach, because frankly I'd like to stop pretending that we can ever be more than what we were."

"She was always with Magneto."

"And now thanks to my stupidity, I'm sure that will be the case."

"You don't know that for sure."

"I can't have her be captured and tortured, Logan. I love her, I need her."

"I know."

"I promised her that we would have other options, its time to find them."

"Charles?"

"It's alright Logan. I'll bounce back. I always do."

Wolverine followed him and wondered how much of the future would be screwed up when he got back, he couldn't help but worry that Rogue was that much farther away from him as well.

Beast opened the doors of his electronics room and pulled up a chair to adjust the monitors, "I set the system I designed to record any news about Paris over all three networks and PBS."

"All three, wow." Wolverine mumbled looking around.

"Yeah and PBS. Look what I found." He turned knobs and switches and the four screens came to life.

"_Tomorrow in front of the White House, the president will make his announcement. He will be joined by Secretary of Defense Laird and has even sought the help of renowned scientist Bolivar Trask, his special advisor to combat this mutant issue. The White House has asked-"_ Beast paused it.

"Raven doesn't realize that if she kills Trask at an event like that with the whole world watching…" Charles trailed off, Hank and Wolverine's worried eyes on him.

"Then I came a long way for nothing." Wolverine finished.

"And there's more bad news." Beast turned to another TV and they saw what he was talking about. "I saw in a report that they found traces of her blood in Paris. For all we know, they already have her DNA which is all they need."

"To create the Sentinels of the future." Wolverine mumbled.

"There's a theory in quantum physics that time is immutable. It's like a river. You can throw a pebble into it and create a ripple, but the current always corrects itself. No matter what you do." Beast looked at Charles, "or did, the river just keeps flowing in the same direction."

"What are you trying to say?" Wolverine asked.

"What I'm saying is what if the war is inevitable? What if she's meant to kill Trask? What if this is just simply who she is?"

"_Don't talk to me you did that on purpose." _

_Charles held the door of the pub for her and she angrily walked out. "I did not! Why would I do it on purpose?"_

"_Yes, you did," he scolded._

"_You know I can't control it sometimes if I'm stressed or tired," she countered._

"_You seem to be doing a perfectly good job right now."_

"_Mutant and Proud!" She yelled._

"_What?"_

"_Or is it only with pretty mutations or invisible ones like yours? If you're a freak better hide."_

"_You're being ridiculous." He grabbed her arm and she stopped. "I don't mean to sound like an old fart."_

"_Which you are."_

"_Sometimes." He conceded. "But we've talked about this, Raven. A small slip up is one thing. A big one does not bear thinking about."_

**'_Are you ashamed?__'_**

**'_No, I'm terrified.'_**

_They'd gotten home and she'd immediately gone to take a shower. He'd known exactly what Raven was muttering about as she climbed the stairs but he just didn't have the strength to argue further._

_He made himself tea and went to his study and began writing the paper he'd abandoned when Raven begged him to take her out. He removed his coat and rolled up his sleeves thankful that she'd apparently finished her shower while he'd been preparing his tea._

_All that blue skin, dotted with droplets of water was just the sort of thing he needed to keep his mind away from, one of the many curses of being a telepath was that he could easily recreate anything in his mind and project it. Having glimpsed that once accidentally when they been teenagers had kept Charles awake for many restless and shame filled nights. _

_Raven was his responsibility and not someone for him to be lusting after._

_She opened the door but he was already hard at work and pretending that the wafting sent of coconut shampoo wasn't playing havoc with his mind. "Mutant and proud," she scoffed._

_He shook his head; the girl at the bar had certainly made an impression. He didn't dwell on the fact that Raven had purposely ruined his best line, he was still pondering how closely the girl and Raven resembled each other and that was before she'd changed her eye. _

_It was why he'd gotten so cross and demanded they leave. In all honesty it had unnerved him, mostly because he had never realized that he had a type and that they all looked like the supposed little sister currently glancing at him. He heard her say mutant but couldn't catch whatever else she said but he could clearly picture the sadness in her yellow eyes._

_It took all his willpower to remain rooted to his seat and not comfort her but she was currently wearing nothing but a bathrobe and that was highly inappropriate and dangerous…much too dangerous especially with tonight's disconcerting revelations. __**'How did I not see this?'**_

"_Would you date me?"_

"_Of course I would," he read another part of the book in front of him, desperate to appear nonchalant and not like he was hiding a terrible secret. He was in love with his sister…okay she wasn't technically his sister but they'd grown up together. At best it was irresponsible and at worst he would be taking liberties. "Any young man would be lucky to have you. You are stunning."_

_Maybe if he wrote faster she'd see he was busy and drop the conversation all together. It was starting to feel a little hot in the room and he'd already unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt._

"_Looking like this?" she asked. _

"_Like…" her voice was every bit of innocent longing that pulled at his heart, a heart that already belonged to her but that he could not give her. She was young and vibrant and she needed someone less knowledge in the ways of women and as much as he wanted it to be him, it would be taking advantage of their close bond. "Blue?"_

_She looked down and he could have kicked himself. He hadn't meant to hurt her. He just wanted himself out of the running and for that to happen, for Raven to see how unworthy he was of her, he had to change their dynamic. "You're my oldest friend."_

"_I'm your only friend."_

"_Thank you for that." __**'I'm sorry that's all we can ever be.'**_

"_Well?" _

**'**_**She was persistent. What can I say to dissuade her?'**__ "I'm incapable of thinking of you that way." __**'No I'm not and there lies the problem. I could very well break your heart.'**__ He gathered his books and made his escape. He was going to crack if she continued looking at him that way. "I'm responsible for you. Anything else would just feel wrong."_

"_But what if you didn't know me?"_

**'**_**If only, my dove.'**__ "Unfortunately, I do know you." __**'Unfortunately? Why did I say that? Did she catch that? Oh lord, how do I retract that statement without giving myself away?' **__"I don't know what's gotten into you lately. You're awfully concerned with your looks."_

_She gave no answer and he internally breathed a sigh of relief. He sat to finish his book, assuming that she'd gone to her room and sulk or watch TV and ignore him, like she normally did when he pissed her off, which was becoming more alarmingly often. However Raven was either seeing something he was really trying not to project or she was feeling more annoyed with him than usual. _

_He saw her glare at him and as if she was the mind reader and about to call him on his bullshit, did the one thing that would make him totally look like a hypocrite if he moved, she sat down and reclined against him. _

_He tried to brace himself but he was not prepared for the sudden warmth at his side. He tried to hold in a sigh of content but it came out as a huff of protest because she shifted a little bit away.__** 'Closer love, I don't mind.' **__Raven not being a telepath but seeming to decipher his thoughts enough to scare him, did indeed move closer._

"_I'm sleepy. Will you read to me?" She was not going to take no for an answer and he didn't want to hurt her feelings unnecessarily, besides she was fully covered, what harm would it do._

_She cuddled further into him and Charles lifted his arm, left it awkwardly in the air for a second, mostly so it would not land on some part of her body, that he would have to later on in his solitary bed refuse to believe existed. "I can't. I have my thesis coming up. I have to study." _

_It was a very weak excuse and Raven was very much his darling and she knew it. She was also going to make him pay for that "Blue" comment. "Fine, read that. Your thesis always sends me right off." _

_He moved his chin just enough that her head could rest comfortably on his chest, though he did keep his knees crossed and angled so as that she didn't end up on his lap. He relaxed his arm and left it along the back of the couch, he so badly wanted to drop it and rest his hand on hers but that would send her mixed signals and he had to be the levelheaded one. He was the adult._

_Her red hair so vibrant and red, like a fire, kept drawing his eye but he forced himself to read. "To homo neanderthalensis, his mutant cousin, Homo sapiens, was an aberration." He chanced a glance and saw that her chest rose and fell in peaceful and relaxed slumber. "Peaceful cohabitation, if ever it existed, was short-lived." _

_She curled her legs and scooted further so that her head was right beneath his chin and without thinking dropped a kiss on her silky hair and she smiled in her sleep. "Records show, without exception that the arrival of the mutated human species in any region was followed by the immediate extinction of their less-evolved kin."_

_Once he finished the paragraph, he put his book down and adjusted his position so that she was cradled in his arms. He grabbed a pillow, slipped it under her head, brushed her cheek and leaned back on the couch. Within minutes he'd fallen asleep with his hand entwined with hers._

"Just because someone stumbles, loses their way doesn't mean they're lost forever." Charles said in wonder. **'That was what he'd told me. The me who was alone in the future. Can I change that?'**

"No, I don't believe that theory, Hank." He smiled. **'How naïve I was, how absolutely arrogant. I let her believe that she could not be anything but the disguises she wore. Is it any wonder she turned out as Logan says she did? I can't change our past Raven, but I will do my very best to change our future.'**

Wolverine began to see the professor he knew in this one and there was also something else, not just hope but hope for love, love shinning for Mystique, no for Raven. **'Charles, will you be able to stop her?'**

"And I cannot believe that is who she is. Ready the plane. We're going to Washington."

**'I won't have to.'**


	3. Rescuing Rogue and Killing Wolverine

Okay this chapter totally got away from me but I had to do a bit of Rogan.

Hope the jumping back and forth between past and future isn't confusing. A good chunk of dialogue is obviously from the movie and I changed some stuff. Don't remember the abomination (XMEN 3) very well or Wolverine so I used them very broadly.

I own nothing...blah blah blah.

Enjoy...

* * *

**Future - 2023**

"How she doing?" the professor asked.

"She's lost too much blood, she can't keep going like this," Bobby replied. "I don't know how much longer she'll be able to hang on."

"We have no choice, Bobby," Magneto said.

"We can wake him up," Bobby snapped.

"No!" The professor stopped him.

Bobby knew that the professor cared about Kitty but he couldn't understand what it was to watch the woman he loved bleed to death and not being able to do anything to help her.

Reading his mind, the professor patted his arm. "I know its difficult but they need more time." Bobby was not convinced so the professor kept talking. "I had a glimpse into the past. If we wake Logan now we may set our fate on an even darker course. They need more time," he repeated.

Bobby had no problem abiding by the Professor's wishes but he wasn't going to sacrifice Kitty if he didn't have to and maybe another could be saved in the process. "There is someone else."

"No, no one has Kitty's power," the Professor said.

"Someone that could take her power, take her place. She took yours once," he told Magneto.

"Rogue," the older man replied.

"I'm sorry, Bobby, she must be dead. I haven't been able to make a connection with her in years."

"That's because they're keeping her in the one place your mind can't reach from the outside. She's in Cerebro. She's in your house, Professor. They experimented on her. Trying to tap into her power so they can take ours. Take all of ours," he looked at the two men willing them to understand that now was the moment to take big risks, they wouldn't have another shot.

"If you knew this, why didn't you go after her? Why didn't you tell Wolverine before he agreed to do this?" Magneto asked.

"Logan would have wanted to rescue her, it would have jeopardized the mission." The Professor said reading Bobby's less than happy thoughts towards the man being held in time by Kitty.

Bobby glared at both of them, "we tried. Its too heavily guarded."

"I may know a few things about that house they don't," the Professor said quietly giving Bobby a much needed dose of hope. "If we're going to go, it has to be now."

"Ok, let me tell Kitty. "

"Hurry, we don't have too much time." Magneto urged him.

Bobby nodded and eagerly went to his girlfriend's side, "Kitty, I'm going to get help. I'm gonna bring back somebody to help you."

Kitty looked up, eyes full of pain but still sharp enough to understand what he was proposing, "please bring yourself back."

Bobby kissed her in reply. She hung her head back down not bothering to blink back the tears. He wanted to reassure her that he'd be back but he didn't want to lie to her. Every thing they did was a suicide mission. They all knew it. He was just hoping he hadn't just given her a goodbye kiss.

Magneto and the Professor had gone on ahead and he ran all the way, stopping at the stairs of the blackbird to catch his breath, which allowed him to overhear Magneto and the Professor talking. "It's an unnecessary risk, Charles. We have no way of knowing if Rogue is still alive. We could be going to liberate a corpse."

"We have to try Erik. If not now when?"

"Ever the optimist." Magneto replied.

"Kitty will not last much longer, she needs help and if that means risking ourselves then we must."

"Ready to go?" Bobby asked uncaring if they knew he'd heard them.

"Let us rescue Rogue." The Professor answered.

They landed about a mile from the back of the mansion. "These tunnels will lead you to a steel enforced wall, once you get through that then you will be in the space right above the corridor that leads to Cerebro."

"Let's go." Magneto commanded.

"Bobby?"

"Yes, Professor?"

"No heroics, get in and get out."

"Of course."

Magneto and Bobby made quick work of the labyrinthine tunnels, apparently the Professor had been right and the sentinels had not discovered this part of the mansion yet. They came to the steel wall the Professor had mentioned and Magneto broke through it.

He and Bobby climbed through the hole and immediately the Professor's voice was in their heads. **'You're walking directly over the hall now.' **

They walked further and Magneto shifted and lifted a chunk of the metal floor. He stepped onto it and Bobby followed then Magneto lowered them to the corridor below. They stepped off it and carefully picked their way through the hallway leading to Cerebro. It was badly damaged with exposed wiring ripped out of the walls, floors and ceilings.

Magneto got to the door first but scanning was not necessary as he manipulated the doors apart with ease. Three men dressed in white stood around a table, holding surgical implements in their hands, clearly working on the figure laying on the table before them.

"I've been on that slab. Let me show you how it feels," Magneto said and lifted all the remaining surgical tools off their tables and pointed them directly at the men.

Bobby ran past them and straight to the woman on the bed. "Rogue," he called gently shaking her shoulders. There was no response and he called out again, "Rogue, Rogue, come on. Wake up, please."

Magneto approached but Bobby was too focused on Rogue to even notice the men back away from their tools and run out of the room. Even with all the commotion, Rogue still didn't move and Bobby felt desperation kick in, "come on, Rogue, wake up. Wake up, its me."

**'Hurry, Bobby.' **

**'I'm trying, Professor.' **

"Perhaps..." Magneto began but Bobby didn't want to hear what the other man thought. He pulled his glove off and pressed his hand to her face, her pale and unresponsive face. Nothing happened and despair washed over him at what no pull of her powers meant. "No," he whispered.

But no sooner had the word left his mouth that he felt first a pinch, then a tingle, then the burning and familiar crippling sensation of having your life force being yanked from your unwilling body. He moaned and twisted in pain, resisting the desire to pull away.

Thankfully Rogue gave a weak gasp and he was able to separate himself from her. A breath of cold air escaped her mouth and she opened her eyes gingerly, "Bobby?"

"Rogue, it's okay, I'm here."

She glanced behind him and caught a glimpse of Magneto. "No, no!"

She struggled in the metal bindings around her but he soothed her, "Rogue, Rogue, Rogue, it's okay. He's with me. Were gonna get you out of here."

Magneto snapped the restraints from afar not wanting to scare her further and Bobby pulled her onto her feet, "can you walk?" he asked.

"Ah thinks so," she said and with one arm thrown over his shoulders, the trio walked out of Cerebro but as they hit the corridor, the Professor shouted. **'Erik, Bobby! Get out of there! Now!' **All three mutants winced from the too loud mental voice in their heads but immediately moved to do as they were told.

However while Magneto had no problem striding away, Bobby was still trembling with the after effects of having had Rogue touch him and Rogue weak from whatever they'd done to her, was having a hard time keeping up.

Bobby tried supporting more of her weight, "come on, Rogue, just a little more."

"I know, Bobby." She said attempting to move faster.

He was just about to attempt putting down a layer of ice and picking her up when the corridor exploded. A sentinel burst through one of the panels of the floor, Rogue screamed and Bobby laid a quick blast of ice over the opening, freezing the sentinel halfway through it.

"Run, we can't fight them!" Magneto shouted.

Rogue and Bobby sidestepped an arm piercing the floor but the force of the blow brought them down in a tangle of limbs. Bobby got up first, turned and fired another blast then dragged Rogue up with him. Another burst and he created an ice wall which only slowed one down long enough for the other two sentinels to catch up.

"Leave me," she begged Bobby but he pushed her in front of him and to Magneto.

"Take her," he commanded and Magneto grabbed onto her waist and dragged her to him.

"Bobby!" she screamed fighting Magneto as he pushed her toward the hole in the wall he'd created earlier. "Bobby! No," she screamed as the first sentinel climbed up from the floor.

"I'm sorry," he said and transformed into his ice form and blasted the sentinel who'd broken through his wall. It crashed into him, Bobby hit the ground, dazed but not injured he got to his feet. "GO!" Bobby shouted as the sentinel opened its mouth.

In one desperate move Rogue swung back blindly and grabbed onto Magneto's face.

"Rogue, no!" Bobby yelled and lunged for her.

She held on long enough to get what power she needed then violently ripped up a metal panel and curved it so that the blast was directed back at the sentinel and away from Bobby. He got to his feet as another dropped down from the ceiling just behind him. Rogue pulled the cables from the walls and wrapped the sentinel up in them, severing one of its legs.

"Come on, Rogue, there's more coming."

Bobby grabbed the recovering Magneto and shoved him through the opening, followed right behind with Rogue bringing up the rear and closing the wall just in time to save them from the concentrated blast of the two remaining sentinels.

Charles saw the explosion and waited anxiously for his team to show. **'Lower the ramp Charles,'** Magneto thought and Charles did so, happy to see Magneto climb up the stairs with Bobby helping up the exhausted Rogue.

"Professor," she greeted.

"That was dangerous," he said scolding her good-naturedly.

"So was rescuin' meh," she replied.

"I'm fine thank you," Magneto said from his seat.

"Sorry 'bout that," she said but Magneto ignored her, put on his seat belt while Bobby took the seat next to her and smirked.

"Are you okay?" she asked him.

He touched his shoulder gingerly, "I'll survive. How about you?"

"I'm good now. Where-"

A loud rumbling beneath the plane interrupted her.

"Get us out of here," Magneto said to the Professor.

The Professor moved the switches bringing the engines to life but the plane dipped forward and two glowing sentinel arms appeared on the nose of it. The sentinel opened it mouth wide but the professor flipped the engines and pulled the plane sharply to the left. The sentinel clung to plane briefly before falling away into the darkness.

"Logan?" she asked the Professor.

"It's complicated, my dear." Magneto answered.

"We'll tell you all about it once we get back," Bobby said beside her. "Why don't you try to get some sleep, you need it."

"Thank ya," she said. He smoothed the white streak behind her ear and she lay back in her seat and fell asleep.

"What are we gonna tell her?" Magneto asked the Professor.

"The truth."

Bobby fell asleep as well and didn't wake again until they touched down. "Bobby, Rogue, we're here."

Rogue lifted her head off his shoulder, stretched sleepily and Bobby popped his neck feeling the crick of sleeping at a strange angle. "Ah'm sorry, didn't meant to sleep on you."

"It's okay, I fell asleep on you too."

"So where are we?" she asked undoing her seat belt and following him out of the blackbird.

"China, the where doesn't matter."

"Are we safe?"

"As safe as possible."

They were greeted by Storm but aside from the weather goddess, she saw nothing but unknown faces. "Not many of us left," she said.

"We have dwindled." Storm replied.

"Kitty and Wolverine are here," Bobby said quietly and Storm looked curiously at them.

"Logan would have gone for you if he'd known," Storm said.

"Ah I know." Rogue said aware of how close she and Bobby stood next to each other. Storm's comment was not a judgment but it felt like it and Rogue felt shame at being so reliant on Bobby.

"Its good to see you, child." Storm said.

"Where is Logan?" Rogue asked.

"I think its better if we show you," the Professor said not letting Storm reply.

"I'll leave you to it," she said and continued on her patrol.

"Ah feel so tired." Rogue commented.

"You can lean on me if you need to," Bobby said sliding an arm around her waist.

Rogue knew that if she did it would look like she was falling back into old patterns, Bobby and her had always had a connection and she'd abused that in the past, they couldn't go back to deceiving themselves again.

However with the adrenaline having worn off and the drugs still working their way out of her system, Rogue knew it would be folly to try to do much on her own but she had to try. "Give me a second," she said and pulled away from him.

No matter how exhausted she felt, she had to show respect to Bobby's relationship with Kitty and her uncertain one with Logan. He understood and she squeezed his shoulder in thanks, knowing he'd offer help if she really needed it.

The Professor and Magneto led the way while Bobby walked alongside her and she glanced around their surroundings, grateful to be out of the hell she'd been in and having something to occupy her mind until she was reunited with Logan. She spotted another unknown Xmen atop one of the many pagodas and waved at him, he waved back and they continued on into the main building.

The building was surprisingly large and she was infinitely glad that Bobby was with her because she was already feeling tired again and had to stop a few times to lean against the wall fearful she would fall otherwise.

"I can carry you," he offered.

"Ah don't think Kitty would appreciate that," she said lightly.

"She'll be too glad we made it out to care," he joked.

"Ah missed you, Bobby."

"I missed you too," he said. "If you really need me..."

She pushed off the wall slowly and shook her head. "Let's just go slow."

Magneto and the Professor had gone on ahead of them but Bobby refused to push her and they talked as they caught up wit the others. "Tell meh what's going on."

"Logan's mind was sent back in time, fifty years back, to his younger body. He's gonna try to stop the sentinels from being made."

"How?"

"I don't know."

"What happened that you need meh?"

"Wolverine's mind is tethered to his body thanks to Kitty but something happened and he slipped between then and now, cutting Kitty as she tried to hold him still."

"Is she okay?" Rogue asked.

"She's lost a lot of blood. It's taking a lot out of her. I could bandage the wound and care for her if she could rest but we need someone to take her place."

"What happens when Logan gets back?"

"Whatever he has to do has to take root, hopefully it'll change the future and we won't be here."

"Sounds risky," she said.

"Its our only chance."

They approached another large doorway and he moved to the side where Magneto and the Professor waited. Rogue stepped into the room and immediately gravitated to the unmistakable form of Logan, his mind in the past.

She slowly made her way to him and not caring that they were all watching her, Rogue ran a hand along his relaxed arm. **'Ah missed you, Logan, so very much.' **He looked the same as the last time she'd seen him with the exception of a few gray hairs at his temples as the only indications of his aging.

Kitty raised tear filled eyes and looked past her and to Bobby. "You came back."

"Thanks to Rogue," he said and went over to the injured woman's side.

"Thank you," she said sincerely.

"He saved meh first," Rogue replied softly not taking her eyes off Logan. She didn't want to think of what would have happened had she not gotten Magneto's powers in time.

Kitty leaned against him tiredly and he nodded to her. "Ah'll take it from here," Rogue said and put her hand over Kitty's. She touched the other girl and Kitty bolted straight up, her mouth open in a silent scream then tipped into Bobby's waiting arms as Rogue took over her spot.

Rogue looked over at the younger girl. "She'll be okay, " Bobby reassured cradling Kitty against him.

"Thank you for coming for meh."

"I'm sorry it took so long."

"You came, that's all that matters," she said.

"He was the one who kept saying you weren't dead. He said he would have felt it."

Rogue wistfully looked at the man she'd loved all her life, millions of emotions zoomed through her at that heartfelt comment. "Hello Logan," she whispered and the man in the past answered her.

"Rogue!"  
**  
Past 1973 – Bound for Washington.  
**  
Last night had stirred long dormant feelings that after the fiasco with Mystique, Wolverine had not been able to process, now that they had nothing but time on their way to Washington, it was all he could think about.

He knew that Rogue had been rescued from wherever she'd been, which was great since he'd known she was still alive somewhere. She had him in her, mentally and physically, he would have felt it if something had happened to her.

What worried him was why Rogue was holding him instead of Kitty.** 'Had she been hurt?' **That was the only reason he could think that they would switch people on him. It was a risky proposition since Rogue could only absorb a power as long as she held on.

He seriously doubted that Bobby would have allowed Rogue to touch Kitty for a long period of time unless it was absolutely necessary. All this time travel crap was starting to give him a headache and he was counting down to when this would be over and done with.

Not wanting to dwell on what he didn't know and couldn't do anything about, he glanced at the young Professor who was absentmindedly rubbing his leg and staring out the window. He looked sad and maybe just a little confused as well, like he was holding pieces to a puzzle that didn't belong.

"You alright?" Logan asked.

He had been watching Charles all morning. Wolverine knew that something very important had shifted in the young professor's mind and it wasn't just the fact that he'd spent the night with Mystique, something else was bothering him.

"Getting there." Charles answered looking out the window, his mind clearly occupied.

"You gonna be okay?" Wolverine had never felt anxious before except when Rogue had been chained to the Statue of Liberty and he'd been unable to do anything but hear her scream. But this version of the Professor made anxiety claw at him.

"Just a little distracted."

"I can tell." Wolverine replied.

"Last night with Raven-"

"Let me stop you there, Chuck."

"I'm not going to give you salacious details, Logan." Charles said annoyed.

"What about her?"

"She was different but the same, like a mix between the girl I knew and the woman she's become. It was strange to see how much I hadn't changed in comparison. How stuck in the past I'd been."

"You've gone through a lot."

"Yes, I suppose but haven't we all. It can't have been easy for her to leave all she'd known and commit herself to such a heartbreaking cause."

"She didn't commit, Charles. She was forced into it , unless Magneto was less of an asshole then."

Charles cracked a smile, "Erik can be quite forceful and it might have started out that way but in the end Raven made her own choices and I should have reached out. Even with all that's happened with us, I feel like I'm on the edge."

"Of what?"

"Of destroying our chance to change the future. I don't know that I can stop her."

"You said it yourself, you won't have to."

"I know but I wish I felt as confident right now as I did this morning."

"You will but whatever happens today, I need you to promise me something. You've looked into my mind and seen a lot of bad but you've seen the good, too. The Xmen." He leaned forward. "Promise me you'll find us. Use your power, bring us together. Guide us. lead us. Storm. Scott. Jean..."

"Rogue," Charles offered.

"Find me and you find her."

"Duly noted," the professor smiled.

Wolverine smirked briefly, "remember those names. There are so many of us. We will need you, Professor."

"I'll do my best."

"Your best is enough. Trust me."

The grounds in front of the White House were packed with reporters and high profile people curious to see exactly what it was that made the president want to make such a heavy handed demonstration.

Hank pushed Charles through the crowd outside the gates and to the line in front of the metal detectors. Beyond them, lawn chairs had been set up in front of a stage with a large banner behind it, Wolverine was checking the people near them. "Do you see her?" he asked.

"She'll be close by, no doubt keeping an eye out for us," Charles replied.

"We stop her then what?" Hank asked.

"I don't know yet."

They passed the metal detector and the guard asked,"can I see your invitations, please?"

Charles put his fingers to his temple and instantly responded, "yes you may. These two are with me."

"Go ahead," the guard waved them through.

"Thank you," he replied.

Wolverine passed and didn't set off the metal detector, "well that's new."

"Logan!" Charles called.

"Please, this way, sir." The guard directed him.

They placed Charles next to a group of injured servicemen and left to check the area. One of the men leaned over, "fourth infantry. Took a bouncing Betty. What happened to you?"

Charles recalled the beach and the awful terrible pain. "Friendly fire."

"The worst kind."

"Yeah."

Hank and Logan came up behind him. "Where is she?" Logan asked.

"I haven't found her yet, but she has to be here."

We're running out of time." Hank said.

"I know but somehow I can't seem to lock on her."

"Is she doing that? Hank asked.

"We should spread out," Logan interrupted.

The music started, people rose to their feet and cameras turned to the stage. "Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States."

"I'll keep looking," Charles answered shooing them away.

President Nixon went up to the podium, adjusted the microphone and began to speak. "My fellow Americans, today we face the gravest threat in our history...mutants."

**'Come on Raven, where are you?'**

_**I'm pregnant.**_

A woman a few rows up told her friend.

_**How long is this gonna take?**_

This was from one of the police officers._**  
**_

_**Another long boring speech.**_

That was said by one of the men sitting two chairs over from him.

**'Where are you?" **

"We have prepared for this threat. In the immortal worlds of Robert Oppenheimer, behold the world will never the same again..."

A banner dropped and a row of sentinels stood behind the podium.

"Now I have become Death, the destroyer of worlds,"Charles said.

**Future - 2023  
**

Warpath stood atop one of the Pagoda's, squinted into the distance and shouted, "there's 12 carriers inbound, 10 Miles!"

"They've found us," Charles said.

Magneto looked at Rogue guarding Logan to Bobby comforting the wounded Kitty and finally to the Professor who was protecting them all with comforting thoughts.  
**  
'Erik?'**

**'Time to do our part, Charles.'**

**'Be careful, old friend.'**

**'I'm afraid I won't be able to do that this time. Its time we avenge our fallen brethren or die trying.'**

And with a swish of his cape departed to be the last line of defense.  
**  
'Please let this work.'  
**  
Rogue shivered, "Professor?"

"Yes rogue?"

"If we don't make it. Ah'm glad that I can be here with you guys."

Charles wheeled closer to her. "Logan will accomplish what needs to be done."

"Ah know. "

Magneto stepped out of the building and into the fray.

"Here they come." Warpath warned them.

"Let them," Magneto replied.

**Past - 1973  
**

**'This is for you, brothers and sisters.'**

"Raven?" He read her mind and froze her in place, hand clenched on the gun still in its shoulder holster.

**'I have her.' **He thought to Hank and Logan. They rushed over both men looking around for the missing woman. **  
**  
"Let me go, Charles," she hissed.

**'No, Raven. Please think about what you're going to do, think about where you are and how many people will see,' he pleaded.**

**'I have thought about it and Trask has to be stopped.'**

**'Let me help.'**

**'I already asked for your help and you refused to give it.'**

"Where?" Logan asked him.

"The tall man near the bushes. There. you see? Secret serviceman. Left of the stage." Charles answered.

"Got him."

"Go!"  
**  
'Damm you Charles.'**

**'I warned you that if I had to. I would stop you.'**  
**  
'You haven't stopped anything yet.'  
**  
**'Please Raven.'**

**'That is not who I am.'**

**'It is to me.'**

**'Still the same deluded Charlie.' she mocked.**

**'Do you not see?'**

**'See what?'**

**'Look at the sentinels. Something is going on, something is wrong.'**

Raven looked at the stage and noticed the bewildered looks of the military personnel. Even Trask looked confused. The sentinels eyes light up and began to power up.

"What the hell are you doing?" Trask yelled. "I didn't tell you to activate them."

"I didn't," Stryker replied.

**'They aren't in control of them, who do you think is?' **

Whatever response Raven was going to give became lost in the sound of the sentinels lifting off their feet and hovering above the crowd. Unaware of what was going on the people clapped and cheered.

**'Hurry, Logan.'**

**'Trying Chuck.'**

The sentinels were now directly over them, arms raised and surveying the people.

**'Raven, whatever is happening will go down here, we must get to safety, you're in danger.'**

**'Whose fault is that?'**

**'If I let you go, will you promise to leave?'**

**'I can't do that.'**

**'Raven, please, listen to me. We've been given a second chance to define who we are. Don't do this to us...not after what...'**

'**Stop it Charles.' **She looked at the stage, her chance escaping as he wore her down.

**'End this...for all our sakes.'**

"Gentlemen, you cannot pass this point." The guard told Logan and Hank just few feet away from reaching Raven.

**'We have a problem, Charles.'**

**'One at a time, Logan.'**

**'Raven?'**

**'I'm doing this for us, someday you'll understand.'**

**Future - 2023  
**

"We can't stop that many." Bishop said seeing the sky full of carriers and the sentinels pouring out of them.

"No, but we can slow them down." Storm replied powering up and lifting up into the air.  
**  
Past - 1973  
**

The sentinels lifted their arms then let lose a barrage of gunfire.

**'Charles get out of here,' she said.**

**'Not without you,' he replied.**

Then all hell broke loose as the crowd screamed and people ducked out of the way, knocking into him, breaking his concentration and allowing Raven to move. The sentinels ceased fire but remained floating, waiting for something to command them, Charles looked up as a large shadow overtook the white house lawn. The figure floating in the center of the stadium could only be one person.

**'Erik!' **Charles shouted but with his helmet on Charles could not reach him.

Raven looked up as well but Magneto was not her problem any more.** 'I told you this war was gonna happen.'**

**Future - 2023  
**

The sentinels ships approached and Storm with gale force winds broke them apart but it wasn't enough to stop them, there were still so many.

"Storm!" Bishop yelled.

The weather goddess turned and sent lightning his way charging up the man just as Blink opened a portal and he shot into it taking out more of the individual sentinels.

**Past - 1973  
**  
**'Raven.'**

Raven heard him but she didn't dare break cover not when she was so close. She and the rest of the secret agents pulled Nixon and the other important men including Trask into the White House and down a series of corridors that ended in the Oval Office.

The seal of the carpet was pulled back, revealing a door to the secret bunker.

"Go,go,go." The head of the secret services shouted.

"Take us to deafcon 3," one of the general said.

"Mr president, we are Code Red." Another agent answered.

"What's our air defense readiness?" Someone else asked.

"All our air defenses are ready one."

"What the hell happened out there?" Nixon demanded of Trask.

Raven limped a little closer enjoying watching the scientist squirm as the president shouted in his face.

"I will fix it." Trask explained.

"You said that before. I wanted to make a statement. Now the whole goddamm world knows we can't protect them!"

"I will fix it." Trask repeated.

"You damm well better." Nixon said.

**'You won't get the chance.' **Raven lifted the gun, ready to put a bullet into the miserable bastard that killed so many.

**Future - 2023**

Magneto rose into the air, brought the blackbird around and flew it into the heavy cluster of sentinels. Storm seeing what he was trying to do sent a supercharged bolt right at the core of the plane, detonating it and taking dozens of sentinels with it.

Sentinels caught in the explosion rained shrapnel down on Storm and the others but they ducked down behind a wall in time. Colossus turned metallic and Magneto froze the pieces in mid air then dropped them to the ground, dipping in altitude a little.

Storm glanced back but seeing nothing wrong rose back into the air and their battle continued.

**Past - 1973**

Charles searched frantically for Wolverine and Hank. He saw the two mutants barely avoided the exploding car where they had taken shelter from the fully operational sentinels. Charles could do nothing but watch as Raven disappeared into the crowd of agents rushing to protect the president.

**'Raven.'** He called out but there was no answer.

The sentinels hadn't seen him, Hank or Logan yet thankfully but he still had to get out of harms way. He began wheeling himself off the grass until he saw the shadow grow bigger and in disbelief Charles stopped in his tracks, removed his glasses and watched as Erik brought down the stadium atop their heads.

He managed to see the light hanging of one the tiers fall, barely giving him time to push off his chair and dive to the side as Logan shouted.

"Charles!"

He landed hard knocking the air out of himself and scrapping his head against some bit of concrete. He tried to move but the light had dislodged more concrete pieces which landed around him, pinning his already injured his legs while the others pinned his right arm.

Logan and Hank tried to get to him but he told them, "I'm alright. Stop Erik."

They nodded and disappeared from sight.

**Future - 2023**

The last sentinel was ripped apart by Bishop and the rest of the group wearily retreated to the front of the building.

"Is everybody okay?" Storm asked.

Magneto felt his suit and pulled out the jagged piece of metal from his body.

Storm turned to help him when a sentinel they had not seen, climbed up wall, leaped up on the parapet and pierced her through the middle. It lifted her into the air and threw her over the wall and to the darkness below.

"Storm," Charles exhaled.

"Professor?" Bobby asked seeing the ashen face of their leader.

"Oh no." Kitty cried and buried her face in Bobby's shoulder.

Rogue kept her eyes focused on Logan."Please hurry!"

"No!" Bishop shouted and threw himself at the sentinel and exploded it before it could move in his direction. The sentinel fell back into the darkness it had climbed out off and Bishop glanced back at his team. "Look out the sentinel. Behind you," Bishop yelled at Blink and Warpath who got out of the way of another sentinel climbing down the mountain just in time.

Three more sentinels crawled over the parapets and spewed fire directly onto the surprised Bishop. He tried to absorb the blast but it was too much and he exploded like a supernova.

Sunspot took off and blasted several more as Magneto seeing their side being decimated took the remaining metal pieces of the destroyed blackbird and began plastering them to the door of the temple, backing up against the door as a last defense for those inside.

**'This is it old friend.'**

"What's happening?" Charles asked.

**'We are dying.'**

"Don't give up, Erik." Charles replied.

"We have to help him." Rogue said to Kitty.

"Bobby help me up!" Kitty spoke up.

"Why?"

"Help me," she said.

He pulled her to her feet and into his arms, turned into his ice from, created a ramp and disappeared down the corridor with her. He slid them to a stop and waited while she phased through the door grabbing hold of Magneto and dragging him inside.

"Thank you my dear."

"Sure," she said and the three of them hobbled back to the others.

Magneto slid to the ground and leaned against a pillar, "now we wait."

"We hope." Charles corrected.

**Past - 1973**

They cleared the top of the stadium but Magneto saw them right away. "Do what you were made for," he said to the sentinel.

The sentinel turned on them and Wolverine and Beast were forced to dodge a hail of bullets. Wolverine drew his claws and sliced at a bunch of wiring in its hand but the mechanism whirred and he hastily dragged them back just barely keeping the sentinel from sniping them off.

"Shit, no metal."

He dodged another spray of bullets which kept the Sentinel from seeing Beast who jumped up on top of it. "Go I got this."

Wolverine left Hank to it then ran after Magneto, claws out. Magneto lifted a sink, pipes, chairs and anything he could throw but Wolverine swatted it away, "no metal this time to control me, asshole."

"This time?" Magneto lifted a concrete block full of rebar and hit Wolverine on the back hard, knocking him to the ground. "Let's change that," he said and pulled the rebar from its moor, slithering it through the grass and to the winded Wolverine. The rods punctured his calf and he screamed as it pushed through his thigh. It crawled in and out of his body and Wolverine screamed in agony as he was dragged closer to Magneto.

**Future - 2023  
**  
Wolverine shook against Rogue's hands and she fought to keep him calm.

"Oh, dear God, no." Charles said.

"What's happenin'?" she asked trying to keep Wolverine from bucking off the table.

"He's dying," Charles answered.

"Logan, it's okay." Rogue began whispering, his body spasmed and his metal claws broke through his knuckles.

"Rogue, watch out!" Bobby shouted.

Rogue ignored him and brushed her lips against his hair, "Logan. Ah'm with you, hon. Ah'm right here." Her words cascaded over him and though he continued to struggle his claws slid back in.

"Keep talking," Kitty said.

She bent low over him so only he would hear and whispered. "Logan, please hon. Don't leave your Marie here alone. Come back to me."

**Past - 1973 **

_**'Ah'm right here.'**_ Wolverine closed his eyes and heard the words willing the pain to subside.

"You have metal now, so much for being a survivor." Magneto said lifting Wolverine up into the air.

Wolverine opened his eyes, focused on the face that had whispered those words and through gritted teeth said, "fuck you!"

Magneto grinned then flung him into the Potomac. Wolverine gasped and chocked, the water rushing into his lungs, drowning him as quickly as he healed, keeping him stuck in a cycle of dying and healing.

_**'Logan, please hon.'**_

_He saw her through the cage, she was pretty, very pretty and tempting but too young for the likes of him. She followed him throughout the fight circling the ring with soft but sure steps. _

_He liked that she liked what she saw even if he didn't intend to do anything about it. So he hit just a little harder, stretched his back a little longer than usual and she never broke eye contact. _

"_I'll have a beer," he'd told the barkeep after his fight and she'd turned away. **'Lot scarier out of the cage, darlin.'**_

_She glanced at everything, those brown eyes taking it all in as deeply as he inhaled his cigar. He didn't look at her but no matter what she looked at her gaze kept wandering back to him. Wolverine almost asked her what she saw in him that was so interesting._

_The TV was low but with his hearing the word Mutant might as well been shouted. His new little friend heard it also and they shared a look. **'What power you hiding?'  
**_

_She'd climbed into his truck easily and he'd been calling himself a bastard for every mile he kept going with her at his side, "so what kind of a name is Rogue?'" he asked._

"_What kind of a name is Wolverine?" She retorted._

_He didn't take his eyes off the road but knew that she wouldn't give up until he told her his name, "my name is Logan."_

"_Marie," she introduced herself primly._

_She rubbed her hands and he turned on the heater. He tried to guide her hands to its warmth but she pulled away skittish and wounded and he'd be dammed if that wasn't the moment he fell in love with her and the beautiful mess of it all._

_The train had cemented it. "You running away?"_

_She was small but fit perfectly against him and he knew that the smell of her would always stay with him. She leaned against chest and she was the piece he didn't know was missing then she was stolen to be sacrificed by an asshole who couldn't stop taking shit that wasn't his._

_He heard her screams, her cries and he'd had no problem stabbing himself if it saved her. His life flowed into her and it was a heroic death and he'd gone with a glimpse of brown and white and a sweet accent calling his name like a prayer. _

_So many things happened later to sour their relationship. _

_Things he didn't know how deal with. The Professor's death, Mystique seeking refuge in the mansion after being abandoned by Magneto, Jean and Scott's deaths. It had all been too much and when he'd finally realized that she was there through it all, she'd decided to leave it and him behind._

"_Trying to sneak away?" he asked._

"_Maybe," she said._

"_Why?"_

"_I can't do this anymore, Logan."_

"_Do what?" _

"_This," she gestured at them._

"_What?"_

"_Wait for you...to love me." She sighed. "I can't keep hoping."_

"_I do love you."_

_She turned, one hand on the door, the other holding her bag, "ah know but not like I love you."_

"_Marie?"_

"_See you around, Wolverine," she said and left._

_He'd lasted two days before leaving, he tried looking for her but she'd vanished. He drifted, fought, screwed around and generally forgot that mutants weren't a secret anymore. He only returned because where else was he supposed to go and he had a silly hope that she might return if he did._

"_You're here," he said surprised as she greeted him at the door._

"_It's my home, Logan, where else would ah be?"_

"_Did you find it?" she asked._

"_What?" he asked not looking away from the woman smiling at him._

"_What you were looking for?" she asked._

"_There were more important things," he said._

"_Like?"_

"_I'm glad you came back, Marie," he said and pulled at her white streak. _

_She moved back to let him pass, "are you? Why?"_

_He dropped his bag and hugged her to him, "everything I need is right here. I should have told you sooner."_

"_Logan?"_

"_I love you," he said and kissed her._

"_Ah know," she grinned._

_**'Don't leave your Marie here alone.' **_

"_Do you know what he did?" Bobby asked._

"_I don't care, let go of my arm." she hissed._

"_He doesn't care about anybody but himself." Bobby said letting her go._

"_He cares about meh, is that so hard to believe?"_

"_Rogue, he's gonna leave again. It's been what three years? He likes to roam, its what he does."_

"_I'll go with him."_

"_What if he doesn't ask you to come along?"_

"_Why are you saying these things?"_

"_Because everybody knows that he never got over Jean...if you go with him then you'll be leaving all of us behind and you'll be on your own with just him."_

"_Its how we started, him and I on a cold road."_

_Wolverine went back to their room and pretended that he hadn't just been thinking of taking a trip. Bobby had been right,he was planning on leaving. It was only for a while but he hadn't planned on asking Rogue to come with him. It dawned on him that he couldn't really offer her anything except constant wandering._

_She was losing what few friends she had because of him, he had to go but he'd never be able to explain it without making her think it was her fault. He was a man of few words and it showed when he told her that he was taking off._

"_You're home is here, Logan...with me. I can touch now."_

"_Its not that, Marie."_

"_Then what is it? Is it Jean? She's been gone for years."_

"_This was wrong. It shouldn't have happened," he said and got out of their bed._

"_Why?"_

"_I'm trying to protect you," he said._

_In the morning he'd packed his bags, "where you going?" she asked._

"_I don't know but don't wait for me."_

"_Be careful," she said but didn't move closer._

"_I will."_

_He ran to Japan but he couldn't outrun his past or the guilt he carried for Jean's death. Sure he lusted and maybe even loved the woman a little but it was not her face that Mystique had first chosen. It had been Rogue's and once that happened, he'd been unable to forget it and he carried that guilt too._

_The girl because no matter how grown up she was, Marie would always be a girl compared to his many years. He'd returned once he'd gotten his head on right and by then it had been so easy to pick up where he left off. The gruff drifter that came and went like the breeze, pretending to care for no one, it was a good lie._

_He'd begun teaching History alongside Ororo and Hank and it had been okay but the emptiness of the institute was still felt. The Professor's, Jean and Scott's presence was still missed and she haunted him._

_Then she'd come back and it was a Rogue he didn't recognize. She'd been living in Shreveport, had dyed her hair honey blonde and wore clothing that covered everything but was tight and inviting to the touch and he had to remember that he'd burned that bridge._

_"Marie?" he'd asked when she'd come in strolling through the front door._

_"Sugah', how you been?"_

_"Not as good as you." he replied._

_"I seriously doubt that," she said and sashayed to the kitchen to greet Storm, she didn't even offer him a hug._

_She'd begun teaching others control, something that apparently she had mastered when away and spent most of her time in her classroom. He constantly found reasons to walk by it so he could talk to her._

_"Marie?"_

_"Come on in, Logan. Ah don't bite."_

_He leaned against the door frame and watched her do her weird yoga then breathing exercises._

_"You know that leaning on that doorway while watching meh stretch makes you look more like a pervert than if you just sat in here and talked to meh," she said enjoying the hilariously shocked look on his face._

_"Ha."_

_"You're the one lurkin'," she replied and did another full leg extension._

_He left after that, seeing her legs bend and twist in those familiar ways had been too much to handle after so many years apart and that night he'd slept with a woman that looked very much like the old Marie. When he got back to the school, the real Marie said nothing as he sat beside her reeking of sex and cheap whiskey. She had just patted his arm and gone to bed, pity for him in her eyes._

_Then the Professor had come back in some miraculous way and he had to train new recruits and Rogue was always cool, nice and sweet but not letting him get close._

_She joked and watched TV with him and even occasionally drank a beer with him but she never spoke of the time away from the mansion. Never spoke about them, so he respected it._

_The attacks on mutants had gotten worse and the missions became more treacherous. They lost more and more recruits and soon all of them were haunted by the lost faces._

_Rogue and Bobby took on more missions together and that set his teeth on edge but he'd made his bed, he had to lie in it now. He had taken his concerns to the Professor but Charles knew that nobody on their team had to be babied. They were all capable members._

"_Professor, I was wondering if you..." she stopped as she spied him talking to Charles. "Did you?"_

"_I already told him the plan. It's too risky." _

"_You're the leader, Wolverine not our boss. Its important and you know it."_

"_Rogue, who would go?" The Professor asked._

"_Kitty, Bobby and myself."_

"_It's suicide, Charles."_

"_Logan, we have no choice, the sentinels are becoming more than even we can handle."_

"_She hates Magneto."_

"_She is right here and Magneto has already contacted us, he is willing to help, he's lost people too."_

"_Alright but no unnecessary risks."_

"_Then I'm going."_

"_You aren't the only X-Men who can fight and win, Wolverine. The rest of us are just as important," she said and left the room before Wolverine could say anymore._

"_She's changed."_

"_You have no idea, Logan."_

_They picked up Magneto and between the X-Men and the Brotherhood many sentinels were sent to the scrap yard. Raids went well until someone was followed and the mansion was taken. They all fought and he lost track of where everybody was then he was knocked out and by the time he woke up, he realized that Rogue was not among their group._

_He was not allowed to go back, the mansion was overrun and they were already on the other side of the world._

_Years later after no sign of her anywhere and more fruitless searching, the Professor broke the news. _

"_You have to let her go, Logan. Rogue is gone."_

"_If she were dead, I would know it."_

"_Logan."_

"_No, Charles. I would know it." He tapped his chest, "right here."_

_**'Come back to me.'**_ He heard it as if from far away, it was her voice, his rogue, his Marie.

"Marie," he gurgled.** 'She would know too.'**_**  
**_


End file.
